What items do you include in your EDC list? My own definitely includes all of the ones listed below, and I’d strongly recommend you do the same…

1) A good knife

One of the most useful items you can carry is a good knife. You may not ever find yourself in an actual survival situation but if you had a knife with you that could work for that in a pinch, that’s one less worry you’ll carry around in your pretty little head.

2) A lighter

My go-to way to start a campfire is just a cheap-ass Bic lighter. It works in most situations and will fit in your pocket quite easily. The mini version is my favorite. I don’t smoke or date girls who smoke so I don’t need a big lighter and because the fuel stays in these things for a LONG time.

3) A flashlight

I’m big on AA flashlights because those batteries are everywhere and having all my stuff with the same type of battery cuts down on how many spares I have to carry in my bug out bag.

It also allows you to carry something like this in your pack to make sure you never run out of power. What you carry in your EDC kit should blend in with your emergency and camping gear as much as possible.

4) A pen

n everyday situations, a pen comes in handy for updating a to-do list, making notes of things to remember, or getting the phone number of girls in coffee shops.

In a survival situation, they can be used to leave notes for rescuers or to write notes to yourself about the locations of water sources or other things you may want to come back to later while you’re stuck out either waiting for rescue or trying to get out.

The 3.5″x5″ model I linked to fits in my back pocket pretty easily but you can get larger ones if you have a man-purse or something.

6) A cell phone

A smart phone is REALLY handy to have everyday because you can get all sorts of useful apps to keep your life in order, or in a camping/survival situation, to do things like tell you your grid coordinates, show you where you are on a map, or be used as a compass. They can even store survival books on it for medical or plant references, etc.

In any case, having a cell phone on you could save your life in situations such as calling 911 after an accident, by finding high ground and calling for rescue if you’re lost, or to make last-minute arrangements on the way home when you forgot your anniversary. Again.

7) List of important information

You can’t always rely on getting into your cell phone to get phone numbers or addresses.

What I’d suggest is that you make a list of the phone numbers of anyone you might have to contact in an emergency if you had to use someone else’s phone, along with any other information you think you might need that you’d usually have to get off your phone or the internet.